Of Bleeding Vessels
by BlackDevil WhiteDemon
Summary: Your name is ERIDAN AMPORA and you just spotted a floating body in the water. Upon further inspection however, you realize the BLOOD seeping from its wounds is not a color within the Hemospectrum. Oh. Too bad your beloved MOIRAIL insist on saving the worthless mutant's LIFE. She's hard to say no too. (pale Erifer, red Erikat)


**This is based off a fanfiction called **That Human Disease Called Friendship (and also literal ships) **by **draconicPeacekeeper **on AO3. Check it out please! You'll be in for a ride.**

**I loved the idea of it, so I just knew I had to write something like it. It's funny cause it's one of those fics where you can tell the author had something specific in mind, but then it derailed. And from there the original intentional plot was lost and something else was derived from it. So yeah this has been in the making for a while.**

**I started writing this in 2017 and just didn't really touch it too much last year? Finally finished it though. :3 I have allllllll the ideas.**

**Gotta love me some red Erikar. And pale Erifef. (Tho Eridan's one-sided flush crush will come into play later.)**

**Quick thing for troll terminology that isn't used much, so you won't be confused. I think the others terms I used are common enough that you already know. :)**

**Nugbone is head.**

**Loungeplank is a couch.**

**Lookstubs and glance nugget are eyes.**

**Frond is leg.**

**Cartilaginous nub is nose.**

**Rumble spheres are breast.**

**Prong are fingers.**

**Porous cranial plates is a part of the skull, so I'm using it as a forehead.**

**Snuggleplane is blanket.**

* * *

Your name is ERIDAN AMPORA and you just spotted a floating body in the water. You roll your looksubs, how pathetic. Someone probably shrilled the landdwelled and dumped them into the water of all places. Plan disrespectful.

You can hear that your moirail behind you is splashing around and diving back under again. You turn back to her, floating halfway in the water. "What are you doing?" She giggles at you before driving in. She doesn't resurface this time. You thought about rolling your lookstubs again, but decided to sigh instead. You pity her very much, but sometimes you wonder how she could be so playful being this high in the hemospectrum. You tsk, kicking your fonds to stay in place. You hated going into the water, ironically enough. Perhaps you could just examine the body a bit closer. Feferi won't mind, besides, while she may comment about how you can always seem to find her, it's the other way around in the water. She's even more scarily effective too, almost akin to a predator.

You dive under and catch a glimpse of what you assume is Feferi. You swim towards the body floating over there. The troll's face wasn't visible from underwater, which must mean they're on their back. You break free to the surface. Wind chills your face, but your body was already cold to begin with. You were close enough to make out the landdweller's blood color. It was light reddish color that was diluted from the water it mixed with. It almost had a shiny tint to it, but again, it's probably an effect from the water it was mixed in with. Plus the light from the moons.

You sneer. It was a _rust blood _of all castes. This rust blood must have been either really brave or really dumb. A mixture of both perhaps. One of two things must have happened. Either some troll put all this effect into dragging a dead body into the waters to dump (how foul) or somebody got a bit to curious about the water and a highblood shrilled them. _Great _, now you would have to touch that thing to throw it back onto land to be recycled. Organic material rotting in water is absolutely disgusting. Especially when it was from the land to began with. It doesn't rot very well, they float instead of sink like sea-life does.

You go underwater to speed up the process of getting there. You want nothing more but to get out as soon as possible. The only reason why you were swimming right now was because your moirail thinks you spend to much time on land. (Which was true, but you had your reasons.) Once you're finally close to the rust...You stop in your trail. Upon further inspection, you realize the blood seeping from its wounds is not a color within the Hemospectrum. "What the-it's a mutant blood…?" You blink in disbelief. You have a clear view of the mutant's face, they look around your age, maybe younger. They are pretty short. Cherry-red fills the water around it. Don't lowbloods bleed out real fast? Do mutant blood's biology even follow normal blood caste related traits? Well, guess it's to late, it's not like you're going to get any answers anytime soon—.

"Hey Erifin! Do you—oh my cod, is that a mutant?!"

"Of course it is, what else?"

"Oh poor thing!"

"Please don't." Water splashed around, some of it hitting you, but you're already wet as one could be. She swims over, examining it at a closer distance. "Fef it's already dead. Leave it alone." You warned, not begged, you didn't beg. You would never beg, highblood pride.

She gives you a look and a light flick to the porous cranial plate. "Silly koi fish, he's still breathing!" She casually retorts in a matter-of-fact tone.

"How do you know it's a he?" You blubbered, not quite processing all she just said.

"It looks like a he."

The part about the mutant still breathing suddenly clicks within your thinkpan. You look down and too notice that it is taking very shallows breaths. _Oh _. It is indeed still alive. How…fortunate? Unfortunate? "Don't, we'll get in trouble." You attempt to put yourself between the body and her, but ultimately fail.

"What?" It's not an indignant tone, but one of confusion. Already you can tell she didn't understand you from the way you spoke.

"We'll" You pronounced clearer this time.

She shakes her nugbone. "We're not going to get caught, we're seadwellers!" Her tone is playful and carefree as it usually is. This bothers you as she is so quick to dismiss something as high as an offense as this. "They're not going to expect us. Beside, they can't even question me, I'm a heiress."

"They can if the Empress suspects something."

She tsked at you and gently started to move the body. "She doesn't care. I'm her descend and she wants me to rule after she dies." She mumbles something under her breath about how that'll be a while before then.

Ugh. Why are you letting her touch that thing again? "Fef you don't need to help this thing." It's disgusting; absolutely horrendous. A dead body is extremely unsanitary! And someone as high as a blood color as herself shouldn't be touching a _mutant _blood of all things. Even if that mistake had been dead. Although, you must say, you're just a teensy bit impressed that it managed to invade culling as long as it did. It doesn't matter anymore. It failed, it's dead, so you don't have to admit anything out loud if you don't want to.

Her glance nugget are playful for a moment, before she gives you a final look. You shut up at this one. There was no room for arguing with her. Your connection with her already makes the feeling stronger, the compiling feeling to agree with her. You reeled back and let her talk, showing that you submit. (Not saying that you would submit to anyone else but her...and the Empress of course.) "I've always wanted to talk to a mutant blood..." Her voice was quiet and low, unusual for her. She lifted the mutant's upper-half, careful not to touch its wounds. "Now I can take care for one!"

Your fins flatten against your nugbone. _Why would she ever want to do that? _You don't ask why this time, just watch her coddle that _thing _and swim off with it. You followed, already knowing about her strange feelings of wanting to take care of the lowbloods like pets. Like one certain winged-mud blood said; 'Our empress see us as livestock, and you, see us as pets. Will we ever be anything else, but beast to you people?' He was culled for a reason...

* * *

"What do you mean he's going in my hive?" You may have said that in a more shrill tone than you wanted, but you were thrown for a loop at the suggestion.

"Good glub Eridan, your hive's on land! He can't go to mine. It's underwater." She pronounced all the words in the last sentence in a matter-a-fact tone. You glare at the dirt that was the tiny island your hive resided on, she did have a point. As she stepped onto land she cradled the mutant blood in her arms. She gestured to the door with her shoulder. "Cod you open th-"

"Yeah."

You run over to the door to unlock it, swiping the keys out of your sylladex. You open the door and hold it for her. She walks inside and you lock it. Just to be safe. Although honestly somebody could break in by smashing the dilapidated wall of your hive's structure, being paranoid keeps you alive. Which is a rule more fitting for a lowbloods but...it reaches out to all in the light of things. Although you had to admit, the fact did make you wonder if life on other planets were like that. Planets that haven't been colonized by your species.

"Thank you!"

"You're welcome." You mumbled back. She's too nice. That'll be the death of her. You have to be by her side until the very end. To protect her from herself.

...

_Fuck_, you're still flushed for her.

Feferi waltzes over to your loungeplank, laying the wounded troll onto it. Well shit, that's going to leave a big stain. You open your squawk gaper to protest, but before you can she talks first. "I'll get you a new loungeplank. Don't worry, that jade blood still owns me a favor." You want to ask what she means by that and who this 'jade blood' is. However she turns around and asks for towels. She's already tearing apart the sweater that covered the top half of the troll, from what you can see, it lacks rumble spheres. _So it's a male. _

"Eridan!"

"Right." You walked down to where the towels are kept. Down one corridors and into one of many respoblocks you have, piles of fabric litter the place, you head over to a smaller one. This one stores mostly white ones in particular. You gather up a couple and turns back to make your way down the hallway. You walk back into the main section of your hive to see that Feferi is bringing over a large blow filled with water.

"It's like I'm doing something for Equius. Again. And there's towels involved." You blatantly state as you pass her the objects she desired.

"Who?" She questions as she takes the towels from your arms. Some are used for drying the mutant off, some are used to be pressed against his opens cuts and lacerations. There was also times she would dip the towels into the water to clean the wounds. Again for the whatever time again today, you wrinkle back in disgust. You'll be needing new towels. There was no point in _dye red ones _. Not in your hive anyway.

"That creepy blue-blooded neighbor of my ex-kismesis." You clarify as your gaze shifts to avoid looking at it. You'll just let your moirail do the work. You still didn't want to touch it. The fact a prestigious highblood such as Fereri was even touching it, that lowblood such be honored by that upon waking up. If it does that is.

"Oh you mean Vriska? She's real pretty. Such a shame she's so mean!"

You can almost heard the D83 face in her voice. It's humorist. "Yeah, spider bitch." Again, the sound of fabric being torn is heard. You look back again to see her ripping apart some of the towels and one of the pant's frond that had a deep gash under it. She then used it to tie it around the wounds. "Did you medical it?" You can't help but ask. Everyone knows you need to sterilize and clean a wound first before dressing it. You weren't mentioning such because you cares about the mutant's wellbeing, but more so about Feferi's. You know how upset she'll get if she ends up krilling the damn thing instead of nursing it back to health. So, you need be keeping a close lookstub as to _not _let the thing die. For now.

"Oh Cod! Silly me!" Feferi quickly unwraps the wounds she dressed and turned to you to ask where you keep the medication. You mumbled a quick, 'I'll get it.' And walked off to the farther hall. The rest of it feels like automatic garble of words and replies, whispers to one another as the both of you get shit done. Whether it be from cleaning its wounds, to finding clothes that might fit it, it was a team effort from here on out. You got lost in yourself, letting a rhythmic pattern take over. At the end, this was just because you wanted to help her. At the end the mutant blood was clean, medicated, dried, and sleeping. There was a time in which you doubted it would get back its conscientiousness. The comment you made that referenced your thought earned you a slap to the side of your head. Ouch? She didn't hit you very hard, but it doesn't really hurt. Feferi is the only people besides your lusus who can get away with that without repercussion. "Don't say that! Please! Eel, wake up. Eventually." Sure, eventually.

* * *

_**Bonus:**_

Your name is FEFERI PIXESE and you are currently watching over an incapacitated LOWBLOOD. In fact, this LOWBLOOD doesn't even stop at RUST. Their BLOOD is a CANDY RED. You are in your MORIAL'S hive at the moment and your MORAIL is busy. So it was your turn to keep watch. You'll do great! Or at least you HOPE so…

Anyway, you look around at his hive. It's damp and dark. Many colder hues decorate the place. Eridan went into the back only a couple of minutes ago. He had said that he needed to find something and put it back where it belonged. You didn't understand what he meant by that, but hey, you got free time? Now you can do something with it!

You observed the body laying down. He is an example of your handy work. Dressed in clothes that you aren't sure where Eridan got. When you asked him, he mentioned something about flarping. He wouldn't elaborate any further. You didn't bother to keep asking after two attempts and half-baked reponses. Anyway, the sleeping troll is pretty tiny! You don't really have any other way to put it. He's shorter than you and while he was a starving person, his body was small as well. That last sentence sounds completely unnecessarily and repetitive. Oh well. Now, there must be something else for you to do! Sure, you can just watch over the mutant the entire time Eridan will be busy, but you're quite certain that nothing will happen! He's not going to wake up. Yet. Later. Yeah, that's what you tell yourself. Later.

Whiling humming a random tune to yourself, you decide now would be just a delightful time to make yourself some scalding leaf fluid! Surely Eridan had some stuff left around to be able to make a cup for yourself. He won't mind. It's such a simple little thing. After all, he let you bring the mutant blood into his hive and helped you with it. Eh, him. So yeah, he won't care at all. Now you just have to rummage through his food preparation block. Fun. You waltz right over there with no hesitation on your behalf. There are many cabinets and drawers to be pulled open and inspected for the goods you were searching for. _Too many. _So instead you decided to look around just a bit more before starting your journey. The interior is a shade of blue and the windows were violet. Just like you expected them to be. There isn't much of a mess around you, in fact it's quite clean. The same can't be said for the rest of the place. Oh well, begged can't be choosers. It takes you awhile, but you locate the necessary items and brew yourself a cup of ambiguous scalding leaf fluid. You're not sure what flavor it is. The container you found it in was clear and unlabeled. You sniff it to try and identify what type it was, but to no avail. The scent is so vague and weak that you cannot even decipher it with your 'nose'. "Huh…" You end up mumbling to yourself. Oh well, just drink your drink.

You take your cup and walk back to where the mutant was resting to continue watch. You blow on the cup, still too hot for you to drink. The temperature difference between the liquid and your body temperature would be most unpleasant for you. Being on the top of the Hemospectrum meant your body temperature was extremely cold, compared to say, a burgundy blood. With that in mind you set the cup down on a nearby table and glance over at him again. He's still out. Like a rock.

You huff a puff of lukewarm air. _What's taking him so long? _You have half a mind to go looking for him, just to see what's up. Again, you highly doubt the mutant will awaken whilst not in your supervision. Before leaving you drape a snuggleplane over the poor thing, just in case he gets cold. You walk down the hall and into a bigger block. It has piles of miscellaneous treasure and stuff. Something gray and insipid catches your attention. It is one of those weird statutes Eridan collects. You wish he'd get rid of those. Not that you would say it to his face. Right next to it though, is a thermal hull. Your curiosity is piqued. You want to know what food Eridan had stored. Sure, you reason with yourself, his lusus is still taking care of him, but is he taking care of himself? Ya don't know. You're just worried about your morial. That's your justification for snooping around in his thumal hull. With excitement you grab the handle to pull it open. Oh wait. That's not food. That's not food at all.

A pair of arms pull you back in time form the wall of shitty wands to cascade at your feet. At least they didn't full on hit you full on. You rotate your nugbone to look at Eridan with a sheepish smile on your face. A little embarrassed that he probably saw the whole thing, but grateful that he pulled you back and saved you for get smacked in the face by wands. Huh, you suddenly wonder why he has so many still. You thought he already got out of this phase.

The violet blood huffs at you. "Fef, what the glub are you doing?"

"Uh, nothing?" You gently pry his arms off your waist and attempt to slip pass him. Wrong move. "Eyyp!" You slip and he yelps as he tries to catch you. Too late. You guys are dumb fucks. Now you'er on the floor, the wands poking you, and your moirail is asking if you're okay. You were just trying to get out of his grasp…


End file.
